On Receptionists and Road Trips
by Anastasia Athene
Summary: Jim is asked to make a sales call in Cleveland. Pam finds herself along for the ride. Chapter 5 up!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first Office fic (US, Jim/Pam)...so I hope you all enjoy it. It's based on an question John Krasinski was asked in one of those NBC interviews--what would he write if he could write an episode for Jim. He mentioned a road trip and being snowed in...I just added Pam to the mix, hehe.**

**Disclaimer:** If I owned The Office…

**Chapter 1: Cleveland—The City of Light**

"Jiiiim Halpert! Slim Jim! My man! What's crack-a-lackin'? And our lovely Paaaam!"

The two people in question must have looked pretty funny to anyone even glancing in their general direction, considering the incredible combination of nausea, anxiety, disgust, and just plain fear that was shining on each face. Then again, Michael Scott was talking. This was a normal reaction.

Jim was the first to recover, and leaned his back against the reception desk as he said, "Um, hey, Michael. What's…up?"

The camera zoomed in on Michael's face.

"Guess what?" he asked, as if he were five years old. Jim, for his part, looked like he really didn't want to know, but of course, he had to answer anyway.

"Uh…what, Michael?"

Michael just clapped his hands together, like an excited child. Or a retarded seal.

"You have to guess!"

Jim looked very tired at that point in time, and the camera zoomed in on Pam's giggling face behind her desk.

"I have to guess…" He pretended to think. "Well, I'm gonna go with the 'you won the lottery' bit. It's been done before, but it's a classic. I don't wanna get my hopes up for a 'Dwight's being relocated to a remote area of Siberia' guess."

A snort came from behind the reception desk, but Jim's face stayed perfectly straight, and the insult went right over Michael's head.

"No, no!" he laughed. "Oh, I'll just tell you. You'll never get it, anyway." He paused, probably for dramatic effect, and then did a drum roll on his thighs.

"Well, Jimbo, since you're our best sales rep—" The camera cut to Dwight's glaring face. Obviously there was some disagreement there. "—corporate wants you to go to Cleveland on Thursday and personally close the deal with a big client there." Michael's grin widens. "And you know what that means? _Road trip!_"

On the last part, Michael pumped his fist in the air like a frat boy.

"With you?" Jim said, looking positively horrified. Another snort came from behind the desk. Michael deflated at this.

"No. God, I wish. Cleveland, you know. What a great city. I mean, birthplace of both rock-n-roll _and_ Drew Carey. Music and improv comedy. God, it's like mecca for me."

The camera panned from Jim's raised eyebrows to Pam, who turned her back to "answer a phone" just so Michael wouldn't see her die of laughter. Of course, Michael was oblivious and went right on talking.

"Anyway, corporate says I can't go. Gotta stay here and hold down the fort." He leaned in to the camera. "These kids just can't get along without me." He winked, and the camera panned to the bored, tired faces of the Dunder-Mifflin workers.

"But, you know, Jim, if you think you're gonna be lonely up there in Cleveland, you could always take someone with you."

Suddenly, the entire office seemed to be looking at Jim, pleading with him, begging, _please get us out of here, please, please…_

"Oh, I know! You could take Pam here! She like, never goes out! The Pamster! Pammie! Pam-eee-laaa! Pam-a-ram-an-a-ma…"

He stumbled quite spectacularly over the last one, and her face shone a mixture of pity for his incredible stupidity and nervousness about what he just said.

"Wh-what?" she managed to say. Jim's face looked identical to hers.

"Yeah! Take our lovely Pam, give her a tour of the Little Apple!"

"The Little--? Michael, there's no such—"

"How about it, Pam? Come on, you'll still get paid. And hey, you could work on your tan."

"Michael, it's Cleveland. In _March._" He didn't hear her, of course, and she sighed. "Um, but, who'll answer the phones?" she continued lamely, though it was a valid question. Michael thought for a moment.

"Hmm…well, Ryan could do it. He's just a temp. Plus, this way I can keep an eye on him, know what I mean? Just playing around, Ry!"

Ryan looked like he wanted someone to shoot him in the face.

"So, you and Pam, Thursday, part-aay in Cleveland! The City of Light!"

"Michael, that's—never mind." Jim gave up and turned to Pam, ignoring Michael and pretty much everything else. "So, how about it? I'm, ah, game if you are." He said, almost shyly. Her mouth quirked.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay." They smiled at each other, and only the camera noticed Angela, severely scratching a mark on a purple notepad.


	2. Tunes For The Road

**Well, here it is, kids. Chapter 2. Kind of a filler, but don't worry. Next chapter we'll be on the road, haha. Anyway, I'd just like to thank everyone who reviewed—you guys rock! Bobbleheads for all! LOL, just kidding. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2:** Tunes For The Road

---

"Roy, it's a _business_ trip. Business. I have to go. Michael asked me to." Pam hissed through her teeth, fully aware that the cameras were still trained on them through the window, even though they were in the break room and the blinds were shut. She felt like she was dealing with a child who was throwing a tantrum in a public place.

"You and Halpert? Come on. Everyone knows he has a thing for you. Really. What does he need a receptionist for on a business trip, anyway?"

"I don't know, Roy. Maybe he enjoys my company, unlike someone I could name. Jim and I are _friends_, which I don't have to justify to you. God! And I already told you—_Michael _asked me to go, not Jim! So if you want to blame someone, blame him. This is not my fault."

"You were the one who said yes, Pam."

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

"Of course it's a big deal. You're staying at a hotel with another guy, and besides that, you didn't even ask me first!"

The room went silent. The camera zoomed in, through the blinds, on Pam's face, her now-steely eyes.

"Well, now you know how it feels, then."

With that, she left the break room, brushing past the cameraman, who trained his lens on Roy's dumbstruck face.

---

"Roy just makes me angry sometimes. I mean, we shouldn't have been fighting in the office, but it really isn't that big of a thing. It's just a one-day, one-night business trip to Cleveland. Jim just needs moral support. It's not a big deal. …Right?"

---

"God, of _course_ it's not a big deal. Of course. Jeez. Business trip. Strictly business. Just, ah, me and Pam on a business trip. To the City of Light, apparently. Roy, um…Roy has nothing to worry about."

---

Things were going slow, so Jim got up from his desk and automatically went to the reception desk, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Hey," he greeted Pam, who was carefully giving herself a French manicure with white-out. "Love the nails."

She smiled widely. "Thanks. What's up?"

"Oh, not much. I was just wondering…" the camera zoomed in. His eyes were soft and Pam's were shining in return.

"Yeah?" she asked, putting down her white-out.

"I was just wondering, um, what kind of tunes you want for the ride. I mean, I don't want to bust out the Jimmy Buffet when you're, I don't know, feeling 50 Cent or something." He gave her a lopsided grin, and she giggled prettily.

"Oh, right, right. You wouldn't want to do that, considering what a huge hip-hop aficionado I am." His grin widened, and he leaned in as she smiled up at him. A comfortable silence settled for just a moment, then—

"Did someone say hip-hop? 50 Cent? Did I hear that? Fiddy! Fiddy Cent-ah!"

Both Pam's and Jim's faces fell as they both turned to look at their boss, who was currently flashing the camera his fingers, which were twisted into the shape of a 'W'.

---

"Well, the W stands for the Scranton West Side, which is where I'm from, of course. Shout out to all my pimps and hos from the West Sa-eeed!"

---

"I wonder if he knows that there are no pimps and hos anywhere in Scranton, let alone on the west side. I wonder if he knows that this building, in fact, is on the west side. Something to think about."

---

"Hey," Pam leaned against Jim's desk, interrupting his game of Spider Solitaire.

"Hey, what's up?" He swiveled a little in his chair, his smile growing a little bigger. She grinned back at him and brandished a CD from behind her back.

"I solved our little music problem." He gave her a questioning look, and she waved the CD in his face. "I just burned it. It's a mix."

"Oh! Oh, that's awesome. Nice work, Pam. Nice work. So what's on it?" He made a move to grab the disc, but she quickly moved out of the way.

"Guess you'll have to play it tomorrow to find out," she grinned cheekily, and fairly sauntered back to her desk. Jim looked positively delighted at the prospect.

"Guess I will," he muttered to himself, a smile still curving on his mouth. "Guess I will."

The camera shifted focus from Jim to Angela, who made a note on a blue notepad and sat back down at her desk.

---

"The purple notepad is for how many times Jim goes to reception to talk to Pam, and the blue one is for how many times Pam goes to talk to Jim. Pam Pong works both ways, you know. Today, the scores are as follows: purple, 37, and blue, 22."

Angela cast a severe glance into the camera.

"And it's not even time for lunch yet."


	3. Total Ho

**Wow! The response to this story were absolutely amazing, and I thank you all for that :) Okay, so this chapter is less funny (though there are some moments) and more of sweet little Jim/Pam moments. Oh, also, I don't own the Office or any of the songs on Pam's mix (ps. Lady Pyrefly, I put "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" on there just for you!) The "official" mix is listed at the end of the chapter. Not all of the songs are actually used, but I put a list of songs I thought Pam would put on there.**

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this installment. Please review!

**Chapter 3: **Total Ho

---

Thursday rolled around, ten a.m, and Jim pulled into Pam's driveway. When he rang the doorbell, she answered the door frantically towel-drying her hair.

"Sorry, sorry. I overslept, and I just got out of the shower, and I can't find my barrette—"

"Leave it," Jim said suddenly, and she looked at him, confused. "I mean…I don't know. It looks nice down. You should ah, you should wear it like that."

"Oh. Um, thanks. I guess I'll just—um, let me just grab my bag, okay? I'll be down in a second."

With that, she rushed up the stairs. Jim stared after her and smiled.

---

They had just pulled onto the highway when Pam remembered the mix.

"I can't believe I almost forgot!" she said, and pulled it out of her purse and slipped it into the player. Almost immediately a loud, pumping bass came through the speakers and Jim laughed.

"Don't worry, Jim. Buffet's on here, too."

Jim just grinned at her.

"You really put this on here. That's amazing, Pam. Amazing."

"I told you, Jim. I love Fifty Cent. I am obsessed with hip-hop." She paused, then said with a perfectly straight face, "I mean, look at me. I'm a total ho."

Jim laughed so hard, he almost swerved off the highway.

---

During the last verse of "Ticket To Ride," Jim decided it was time to stop for food. He pulled into an Applebee's and after parking the car, he ran around to open the door for Pam.

"You didn't have to do that," she said, and he offered her his arm.

"I know," he answered, and she smiled at him as they walked into the restaurant.

---

After ordering, Pam excused herself to go to the restroom. Outside the door, the camera focused on her as she spoke.

"The mix is a hit. I'm pretty proud of it. I mean, I spent like, half of my work day burning it. It wasn't a waste of time, though." She smiled softly at the ground, then looked up with a mischievous gleam in her eye. "After all, I found out that Jim knows all the lyrics to 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.' Could it get any better? I totally want that footage, by the way."

---

On the way out, Jim tossed Pam the keys.

"You drive for awhile. I'm kind of tired. Probably ate too much."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I trust you, Pam."

She smiles shyly and climbs behind the wheel.

"I can't reach the pedals. You are freakishly tall. I'm going to start calling you the Jolly Green Giant."

Jim just grins at her, obviously amused, and she takes a minute to adjust the seat, smiling the whole time.

---

Half an hour later, Jim's head was resting against the window, his arms crossed loosely over his chest.

"Aw, look, he's asleep." Pam smiled quickly at the camera, then at Jim. "Adorable."

Then she realized what she said, and her face went slack. "I mean, um…Maybe I—I should turn the music down a little. Don't want to wake him."

She reached for the volume dial. Her hand trembled and "Tiny Dancer" faded to a whisper.

---

Pam's voice was very soft as she spoke. The camera focused on her sad eyes in the rearview mirror.

"Well, yeah. Um, I mean…yeah. Jim's cute. But I'm saying this as any other girl. Because I am engaged, you know. I shouldn't be attracted to any other guys. But um, speaking as a member of the female population, totally neutral, uh—yeah. Jim's cute. Especially when he's sleeping. Listen, can we stop this? What if he wakes up?"

Pam drove in silence for another hour after that.

---

_Pam's Road Trip Mix_

In Da Club—50 Cent  
He Went To Paris—Jimmy Buffet  
Life In The Fast Lane—The Eagles  
Car Song—Elastica  
Santeria—Sublime  
Vienna—Billy Joel  
Piece Of My Heart—Janis Joplin  
Mustang Sally—Los Lobos  
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun—Cyndi Lauper  
Ticket To Ride—The Beatles  
Paradise By The Dashboard Light—Meatloaf  
Let Go—Frou Frou  
New Slang—The Shins  
Break On Through—The Doors  
Crazy—Aerosmith  
Should I Stay Or Should I Go?—The Clash  
Tiny Dancer—Elton John


	4. No One's Business

**All righty...here is chapter 4! This is the "meanwhile, back in Scranton" chapter. It kind of breaks off from canon, meaning that though Valentine's Day has passed, all of the events of Valentine's Day have not happened--like, Ryan and Kelly kissing on February 13th. I also borrowed Ryan's thing about never getting married from Dwight's Speech. So just be aware of that. (I don't own the Office, if anyone's wondering about that, too. LOL) Anyway, in this chapter, Dwight, Angela, Kelly, Ryan, and Michael all make an appearance, and I really enjoyed writing it. That said, I hope you guys enjoy reading it! Thanks to everyone who's read so far--you're all so great!**

**Chapter 4: **No One's Business

---

"It's no one's business what Jim and Pam are doing on their business trip. Besides, it's a business trip. The office, whether it is here or in Cleveland, is no place for romance."

Angela cleared her throat.

"Although, I'm fairly certain neither Jim nor Pam believes that. The way they look at each other sometimes…and she's engaged, too. Some people should really learn how to control their…urges."

Angela sent a furtive glance around the room, and then glared into the camera again. "In any case, what Jim and Pam do—or don't do—is none of our business. I've said it before. Office…romances are no one's business but the people in them."

---

The camera followed Angela as she bought two chocolate bars from the vending machine and discreetly dropped one on Dwight's desk as she passed. She saw his pleased, hungry smile from the corner of her eye and her own lips curved up.

She walked away, but Dwight's eyes stayed on her backside.

The cameraman shuddered a little behind his camera.

---

"Office romances? I have no idea what you're talking about. Yes, I have a girlfriend, but who says that she is in this office right now?"

Dwight's eyes narrowed.

"I shouldn't say anything more. My girlfriend—she's petite, but I think she could kill me with just a gaze."

Dwight looked vaguely turned on by this thought, and the cameraman felt like he was going to puke.

---

"What do I think of office romances? Omigod, are you talking about me and Ryan? Does _everyone_ know I like him? Omigod, how embarrassing! Am I blushing? I'm blushing, aren't I? I can feel it."

Kelly took a breath and kept going.

"Oh, has he said anything to you? Do you think he likes me? Could you imagine! We'd be office gossip, just like Jim and Pam!"

Kelly's hand flew to her mouth.

"Oops! I didn't mean to say that. But, I mean, it's kind of obvious. And so _sad_! Like a movie or one of those romance novels. Jim is like the tortured hero, and he's pining for Pam, the pretty girl who doesn't know she's like, totally in love with him! But anyway—has Ryan said anything to you? God, he's just so _cute! _Ooooh, what if we got married someday? Could you imagine how adorable our kids would be? I hope he secretly wants a long-term thing because I really, really do. I mean, I said before that I was open to anything, but hello, sometimes boys don't know that they secretly want something long-term. Sometimes they have to meet their perfect girl. Their soulmate. And I could be Ryan's! Omigod, could you ask him what he thinks about marriage?"

---

Ryan looked like a frightened, caged animal staring down the barrel of a tranquilizer gun.

"Oh. My. God. Tell her…tell her that I am _never _getting married. Ever. _Ever._"

--

"He said that?"

Kelly looked very hurt, and she blinked a few times before getting up and heading into the bathroom.

--

"I don't know who's worse—Kelly or Michael. And to be honest with you, that scares me. A lot."

Ryan stared into the camera, eyes pleading.

"Help me. Please help me."

--

The camera panned to Michael's office window, where he could be seen at his desk, not working, but just staring at reception, where Ryan was bent over the fax machine, trying to fix a paper jam.

---

"No I was not staring at Ryan's butt. Although, if I was, I would have to say that it's pretty nice. Haha! No, I just like to make sure that my employees are doin' okay. Especially the less experienced ones like Ryan. Like, he's a baby bird who just left the nest, and I'm the older, more experienced, yet still young-looking papa bird who needs to make sure that he's all right, you know, eating all the right worms and stuff. Really, I'm just making sure that Ryan is eating his worms, at the office. That's not a crime. If it is, well then lock me up, baby! I'm guilty! Guilty! Haha!"

---

Kelly had a steely look on her face as she dropped some reports on the reception desk.

"Here you go," she said shortly, and Ryan nodded in acknowledgement. Kelly turned to go, but before she walked away, she muttered just loud enough for Ryan (and the cameras) to hear.

"You know, Ryan, if you never get married, you'll end up just like Michael."

Ryan glared at her, but a horrified look passed over his face when she walked away.

---

Ryan cast a very tired, beaten look into the camera.

"I really need to find a new job."


	5. Well Spent

**A/N: Whoa. I am so sorry this took so long. I had a bit of writer's block, plus school makes me a busy girl :) But it's all right now, because Part 5 is here! Yay! I want to thank everyone who reads and reviews this story--it makes me feel so lovely inside! **

**All righty, enough of me chattering on...On to the story! Please read and review!**

**Part 5: Well Spent**

---

"Ugh. Next time someone wants me to go to Cleveland, remind me to take a plane. Driving forsix hours is not fun. I think my entire left leg is completely asleep."

"Excuse me? I seem to remember _someone_ driving the last four hours and someone _else_ sleeping peacefully in the front seat."

Jim laughed.

"Okay, okay. But hey, I would have driven, if you were tired. You could have woken me up."

Pam hesitated before answering, and her eyes had an unreadable look in them.

"I—It's okay. I didn't want—I didn't mind."

There was a pause, and they stared into each other's eyes for a moment before remembering the camera. Jim moved first, scratching the back of his head self-consciously.

"Well, since you drove for four hours, let me buy you dinner or something."

Pam pretended to think.

"Well, okay. But be warned. I'm going to order lobster, no matter where we go. And dessert."

Jim laughed, but there was a serious look in his eye.

"Anything you want, Pam."

---

They ended up at a slightly ritzy restaurant that was down the street from their hotel. Pam followed through on the lobster promise, but when the waitress asked if anyone wanted dessert, she politely declined.

"I thought you wanted dessert," Jim teased, and she bit her lip.

"That's okay, Jim. I was just kidding. I'd feel bad—"

"No reason to," he told her, then called the waitress back. "Actually, could we get a piece of the raspberry swirl cheesecake? And two forks? Thanks."

"How'd you know I like raspberry swirl cheesecake?"

A half-smile quirked on his lips.

"Well, I know you like mixed berry yogurt. And you always have that raspberry-flavored tea. I took a guess."

She laughed, a pleased blush lighting her cheeks, and they smiled at each other until the waitress brought their dessert.

---

After dinner, they headed back to the hotel, only to be distracted by the arcade on the first floor.

Well, that was mostly Jim.

"Are you five years old, Jim?" Pam asked him, grinning as the Mortal Kombat computer efficiently killed his Johnny Cage. He nodded.

"That's about right, yeah—oh, yes! Claw machine!"

Rolling her eyes affectionately, Pam followed him to the game, muttering something about 'boys are such children' or something to the effect. By the time she got there, Jim was already in the process of deciding which toy he wanted to win.

"Hmm…let's see, we've got teddy bears, a cat or two, a puppy, some weird-looking…um, things—man, what _is _that? And—"

"Oh, Jim, look. A unicorn."

Pam pressed her forehead to the glass like a little girl, a dreamy gaze in her eye as she looked at the toy's slender white face and lavender mane that were peeking out from under a few teddy bears. The camera lingered on her face for a moment, then zoomed out to reveal Jim smiling widely at her and digging in his pockets for change.

"What are you doing?" Pam pulled herself away from the glass and looked questioningly at Jim, who just grinned even wider.

"You want the unicorn, you'll get the unicorn."

"But, Jim, it's buried under like, five other things. You'll probably end up spending ten dollars."

He shrugged at her, slipping two quarters into the machine.

"Ten dollars well spent, Pam."

He turned to the game, eyebrows crinkling in concentration, and the camera focused on Pam and the small smile on her lips as she gazed at Jim.

---

"It's so lame. Okay, when I was a kid, I was totally obsessed with unicorns. Like, more than any other normal little girl. I had so many toys, sweaters, pencil cases…I drew them everywhere. That was my first ever art project in the first grade. Um, we were supposed to use both colored pencil and watercolor to draw one of our favorite objects. I drew a unicorn with a pink mane and tail…my teacher said I had real talent for watercolor. I don't know if she was serious, but it stuck with me, I guess. My mom still has the picture. Oh, I still have a few figurines and stuff, but unicorns aren't really Roy's thing. He says they're way too girly, so, um…I just keep a few on my dresser…They're really small, but they're pretty. They remind me of doing watercol—"

Pam's voice cracked, and she blinked a few times. Her eyes were wet. The cameraman shut his camera off.

---

"Yes! Victory!"

The camera zoomed in as Jim reached into the machine and carefully pulled out the unicorn. His grin was blinding as he presented it to Pam, and she grinned back at him with a slight sheen on her eyes.

"Thanks, Jim," she said, holding up her new toy and stroking its soft white fur. "This really means a lot."

"It's nothing. And hey, I saved some money—I only spent eight dollars."

She just smiled at him, and they fell into a comfortable silence. Then Pam noticed the camera and forced a little laugh.

"So…um, what are you going to do with all your winnings?" she asked, gesturing to the small pile of stuffed animals sitting at Jim's feet. He laughed fully.

"I don't know. Invest, maybe. They say that's the practical thing to do. CDs, mutual funds, stocks…the possibilities are endless." They shared another laugh, and Jim shrugged. "Or maybe I'll just give them away. I'm sure Angela would like this cat." He picked up the little gray tabby and tossed it up a few times.

Pam leaned down to pick up a teddy bear that was holding a red satin heart.

"You could give this to Ryan, and tell him to give it to Kelly. She'd probably explode."

Jim snorted, and almost choked on his laughter.

"Oh, my God. Or, we could put it on Kelly's desk and just tell her it's from Ryan. Could you imagine?"

Pam's laughter rang like little bells.

---


End file.
